This invention relates generally to an apparatus that will assist a user when actuating a pump sprayer and more particularly to an actuation device that enables a user to operate a pump sprayer as a lever or trigger sprayer by providing a lever that actuates the pump sprayer when pushed or pulled.
A need exists for a device that can adapt a pump sprayer or fine mist sprayer into a lever or trigger sprayer allowing the sprayer to be easily gripped and the contents of the pump sprayer to be readily expelled from its interior.
While the conventional pump sprayer provides a means of directly dispensing its contents, such pump sprayers and fine mist sprayers can be difficult for elderly people, handicapped people and small children to manipulate due to the configuration of the pump being located on the upper end of the dispenser. Such pump mechanisms also require a suficient amount of manual dexterity and the ability of the user to apply one or two fingers to actuate the pump, while holding the pump dispenser with the remainder of the hand. If a person does not have a strong grip, or good strong use of their individual fingers, pumping can be a difficult and trying task.
In the art, there currently exists a device for dispensing chemicals from a pressurized container as disclosed in the U.S. patent issued to Fox et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,430). This device is for a hand-held holder that has a casing for holding chemical cartridges therein. The casing has an opening at one end with a movable frame that moves freely within the casing. A chemical cartridge is placed within the frame and slid into the casing through the opening. A valve at one end of the frame is provided to engage the cartridge and dispense the contents therein. A lever is pivotally connected to the casing and holds the chemical container in a relatively fixed position while driving the frame through the casing which in turn causes a valve to move toward and into engagement with the chemical cartridge, thus causing the contents of the chemical cartridge to dispense therefrom.
While the Fox device provides a means of dispensing the contents of a chemical cartridge by using a lever mechanism, the contents are not dispensed through a conventional pump dispenser. Also, assembling the dispensing unit by having to place the chemical cartridge into the frame and then into the holder can be cumbersome and difficult for people with arthritis or limited use of their hands, or for those who have limited manual dexterity.
The Fox device does not provide an alternative form of actuation for a conventional pump dispenser as does the present invention. The Fox device merely provides a mechanism for discharging the contents of a chemical cartridge.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lever that adapts a conventional pump sprayer into a lever or trigger sprayer making it easier for a user to actuate the pump sprayer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that makes the use of a conventional pump sprayer more ergonomic for users that may have disabilities or are incapable of actuating a pump sprayer through the traditional pumping motion.
The actuation device for manually operated pump sprayers has a housing comprised of multiple parts. A first part of the housing is connected to a second part of the housing with a collar. The housing fully encapsulates a pump dispenser and has an opening adjacent to and in alignment with the nozzle of the pump dispenser that allows the contents of the pump dispenser to be sprayed out through the nozzle and through the opening out to the target.
A lever is hingedly mounted to the housing and has a leg portion that renders pushing or pulling the lever easier. The lever also has at least one arm that abuts an annular shoulder on the skirt of the pump dispenser so that when the lever is actuated, the arm causes the pump dispenser to shift relative to its pump plunger so as to effect discharge of spray product to the intended target.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.